And one-third to albert bald



G. G. EARL HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND METHOD.

APPLICATION FILED AFR-15. I916.

Patented July 29, 1919.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

GEORGE GOODELL EARL, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES ARTHUR B n-OWN, OF LORAIN, OHIO, AND ONE-THIRD T0 ALBERT BALD- WIN WOOD, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-July 29, 1919.

Application filed April 15, 1916. Serial No. 91,449.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon G. EARL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Systems and Methods; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hydraulic systems, hydraulic apparatus and methods, and more particularly to im rovements which relate to and are int/en ed to produce proportional flows for the actuation of apparatus, such as meters or other equipment. I also aim to improve the regulation of fluid pressure or fluid flows employed to control or operate such equipment.

Certain objects, advantages and uses of my invention, as well as the invention itself will be better understood from and with a description of an embodiment of my invention.

The figure illustrates a fluid system constituting an embodiment of my invention and serving to illustrate a method constituting an embodiment of my invention.

The figure illustrates an application ofmy invention, and one of manyforms in which I contemplate using it in practice. In general, a small Venturi tube is shown connected between the throat and the approach chambers of a large venturi. A source of fluid and fluid pressure is shown at 40, connected through a duct 41 to a water main 42. A large venturi, shown at 120, is connected in the main 42. A small venturill'5 is connected from the approach chamber 113 to the throat chamber 114 of the venturi 120. In this arrangement it is preferable to use more and larger piezo-meter holes connecting into the throat and the approach chambers of the large venturi than would be used if ressures only were to be taken from said c ambers. I may also use larger chambers, as illustrated at 43 and 44. As a result, the amount of flow which the small venturi will pass will meet its main resistance in its passage through said small venturi. In such an arrangement the venturi head in the large venturi will be, say as illustrated at k, and ascertained through the piezometer tubes 45 and 46. This it represents the total loss of pressure for the small venturi resulting in the How theretln-(mgh which such total loss of head produces, and due to this flow in a venturi head In, on the small venturi, several times greater than the venturi head It on the large venturi. In this case, the pressure difference intensifier applied to an ordinary dimension of venturi permits it to operate armu-atelv to much lower uantities of flow, or if the desired range 0 flow is not great, it permits of a .larger relative throat area in the large venturi, and, therefore, of a greatly reduced loss of head in said large venturi.

I have also shown forms of means and method for utilizing the pressure difference intensifier. A proportional flow is withdrawn from the approach chamber 43 at the approach 113 of the venturi 120, escaping through the duct 50, where it passes through the orifice 116 into a cell 51' of a chamber 52, which contains a movable member 117, preferably what is known as an equal pressure diaphragm, which will maintain a pressure difference on the orifice 116 of either 71. or h,, depending upon whether the pressure of the main throat 114 or the intensifier throat 115 is permitted to act in the pressure cell 51, the ipes 115 and 114 being alternates, eithe 0 which can be used and the other closed, a gate valve 154 being employed in the pipe 114 and a gate valve 155 being employed in the pipe 115'.

i duct 60 conveys fluid to the throttling valve 118, which valve is connected bv a stem 61 to the movable member 117. The movable member 117 will move in accordance with the pressure difl'erences in the main, according to a well known hydraulic law, and so operate the valve 118 as to permit a fluid flow through the duct 119, proportional to the flow through the main. When it is desired to record very low values of h, there finally comes a point where the friction of the valve 118 and the unlialancing effect of the flow through its parts, although very small flS'tOlIIINllGll with the power of any pressure difference whatever on the diaphragm 117. is nevertheless a source of some error, because at low flows very small pressure increments indicate material flow increments. Now, by connecting the chamber '52 with the intensifier throat 115, instead of ferred to, being practically constant and very small in amount of pressure diiference which they will permit on the two sides of the diaphra 117, the error from thetrue pressure di erence required for pro rtional discharge on orifice 116 is negligi le for a much reduced velocity in the main throat 114 when the orifice is working under the pressure h, than when it is working under the pressure It, By using the intensifier pressure difierence h, in the pressure chamber 52 and 117, the throta reasonably large diaphra tling valve 118 will maintaln the head h, on the orifice 116 for velocities in the throat 114 which are very far lower than could otherwise be operated with. a

The proportional discharge from the valve 118 escapes, as I have explained, through the pi e 119 under adequate pressure to permit o the indication of its rate of flow by the manometer M, which shows the ressure difference on the orifice 0, also 0 its integration b the meter 121 and the recording of its ow by means of the heart-shaped eccentric 123 carried by the wheel 122, which is driven by the meter 121, and which in turn actuates the pen 125 to draw the M- shaped line on the clock driven recording device 126, whose positionwith reference to the vertical time lines and the horizontal quantity lines at-all times and positions shows the quantity of flow which has passed the meter between any given time intervals.

.On the wheel 122 are projections 124,

which operate to cause a four-way valve piston 128 to reciprocate against the spring 128', thus introducing pressure from the pipe 127 connected to a source of fluid pressure and rmitting waste through the.

ipe 127'. T e pressure is introduced alternately through the pipes 129 and 130 into a cylinder 71 on opposite sides of the piston 133, and. causes the said piston to reciprocate whenever a projection 124 passes the stem, of the valve piston 128. The reciprocation of the piston 133 causes a slide 137 to reciprocate also, thereby causing the pockets 134 to be alternately filled from the container 132 and emptied through the openings 135 into the receptacle 136, and thereby causing a quantity: of a substance proportional to the flow of fluid in the main 42 to be removed from the container 132 to the rece tacle 136.

make the leakage of flow very small when the throttle is closed, may not be accurate means which in such event can be employed,

to overcome any inaccuracies resulting from these or other causes. In the embodiment illustrated, this device is shown generally at 165 and consists of a casing 166 in which there are mounted two diaphragms shown at 140 and 141, whose edges are associated with the casing in such a way as to divide the easing into aplurality of chambers 167, 168 and 169. The diaphragms .140 and 141 may be of any desired relative area and weighted as desired. The discharge from the valve 118 passes to waste through the roughing throttle valve shown at 142, and thence through the pipe 143. The pressure at the approach to the orifice 116 isconnected by the duct 138 to the chamber 168 and the pressure from the cell 51 is led by. the duct 139 to the chamber 169, while the pressure of the fluid escapin from the proportional throttle is connect from the meter 121 to the chamber 167 by the pipe 151, its pressure being governed by the throttling action of the valve 142 as eflected by the two pressures and any desired weight such as that of the parts acting thereon to approximately maintain such functional pressure regulation as is found to meet the most favorable conditions for the operation of the valve 118. The combination of the ressure difference intensifier 115, the mug ing throttle apparatus in the lower right hand corner discharging members and decreased with locities and becomes immateral at moderate or very high velocities, it follows that functional flows do not necessarily mean a constant ratio of flow at all velocities and for most purposes a constant ratio of flow at all velocities is what is desired.

The most simple and practical method of obtaining this desired result I have found to be by supplying a proper force in one direction acting against the equal pressure diaphragm, illustrated in this embodiment by the spring 137, in compression, which results in maintaining a pressure in the cell 51. a predetermined amount lower than the pressure in the cell 51, and therefore, a difference of pressure on the orifice 116 by that amount greater than it would be otherwise. This difference being very small still is a material factor in increasing the governed flow through the valve 118 at low velocities, but becomes an immaterial factor at high velocities, and therefore, becomes a substantially perfect corrective of a departure from constant ratio which follows a similar law whether caused by slight un balancing action of the valve 118, due to the flow therethrough, or to diver ing coefficients as between the various discharging members which are functioning together, each according to its own law.

In the lower right-hand corner of the figure there is shown means, here consisting of a plain orifice tank with two orifices, set one slightly higher than the other to divide a flow in two arts having constant ratios, the one a certain definite and constant number of times the other. For instance, the small orifices O, and 0 when the flow through them is referred to the head over their center between any range of said heads from the level A to the level B and measured by the formula and for orifice 0 will always express the discharges through said orifices and for either orifice. 0,, and C and E, and E, will be constant for all heads, 71, and h, between the limits of head A and B, and if the orifices O, and O, are placed in that relative osition in which 12., and E, equal it, plus 1, equal h itwill' necessarily follow that the ratio between the discharges from said orifices will be a constant ratio and the head h, read in the sight tube S above the arbitrary line at Q,

Wlll give the total head, including both E, or E necessary to be used for the calculation or indication of discharge of both orifices with a constant value of the coeffieients and so that the sight tube S can be graduated with a graduation for velocity in accordance with the formula V: 9 Y which graduation will be constant for both orifice O and orifice O and the supply of Water from 143 entering the tank T will be divided into roportional parts as it escapes from the orifices O, and 0,, so long as such supply is suflicient to maintain a level equal to or greater than the level A in tank T and does not overflow said tank, or if said tank is closed, no matter how great the pressure in said vessel may become. E, and E may be negative.

It will be understood that I may employ any form of pressure difference intensifier, a number of different forms thereof being illustrated in the patent to Ferris 790,888.

I have illustrated these methods and these types of apparatus for the purpose of showin some of the uses of my invention. It wi 1 be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular methods and apparatus illustrated, these having been shown for the purpose of better explaining my invention. Indeed, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that many departures may be made from the form and details illustrated, without depa'rting from the spirit of my invention, which is set forth more particularly in the appended claims.

I claim i 1. The method of actuating apparatus functionally to a first fluid flow, which flow is itself functional to a difference between two initial fluid pressures, which method consists in roducing a separate fluid flow from the higher to the lower of said fluid pressures through a tube of venturi form and utilizing the lower pressure produced by the venturi as one of two pressures, the other of which is the higher initial pressure, to govern a flow of fluid proportional to said first flow and actuating the apparatus by said proportional flow.

2. The method of actuating apparatus proportionally to a fluid flow, which consists of byassing a portion thereof. intensifying t e difference in pressure between two oints in said flow, employing such intensi ed ressure difference to govern a proportional Row and governing said apparatus through said proportional flow.

3. The method of actuatin apparatus proportionally to a flow of flui which consists in byassing a portion thereof, intensifying t e ressure difference between two oints in said fluid flow, governing there a fluid pressure functional to said intensified pressure difference and utilizing such fluid pressure to actuate apparatus.

4. The method of actuating apparatus hydraulically, functional to the difference between two fluid pressures in a fluid main, which consists in lay-passing fluid flow from the higher to the lower of said fluid pressures, and intensifying or increasing the pressure difference between said two different fluid pressures in said fluid main and governing another fluid pressure, thereby and through said governed pressure controllin such apparatus.

5. T e method of actuating apparatus hydraulically, which consists in providing an opening through which fluid flows from a higher to a lower ressure condition, providing in parallel with said opening another opening, inserting in said second named opening a Venturi tube, providing pressure controlled means governing another pressure to control said apparatus and connecting said pressure-controlled means to the approach and the throat of said venturi, and permitting said pressure controlled means to be operated functionally to the variation of the head in said venturi.

6. In a hydraulic system, the combination of a fluid main through which fluid may flow, a source of pressure to which said main isconnected, a Venturi tube of smaller crosssection than the main placed in the path of the flow of fluid from said source, apparatus responsive to variations in fluid pressure in said venturi for creating a proportional flow and ducts connected to said apparatus and to the throat of said venturi and to siaid fluid main to govern said proportional 7. In a hydraulic system, thecombination of a fluid main, a source of pressure connected to one end of said main, an outlet for discharge of fluid associated with the other end of said main, 3, Venturi tube of smaller cross-sectional area than the main connected in the path of the flow of fluid between said sources and said outlet, a fluid chamber and a movable division in such chamber, a duct connecting a portion of the chamber on one side of said member to the approach of said venturi and a second duct connecting a portion of said chamber on the other side of said movable member to the throat of said venturi of smaller cross-sectional area, a valve chamber and a valve in said chamber controlled by said movable member, means to convey fluid through said valve chamber and apparatus actuated by the flow of fluid through said valve chamber.

8. In a hydraulic system, the combination of a fluid main, source of fluid pressure and supply to create a flow therethrough, means to cause two different fluid pressures to exist in the line of said main functional to the flow therethrough, a by-pass for fluid flow from the higher to the lower of said difl'erent fluid pressures, means creating a restriction in said by-pass with approach and recovery members of venturi form adapted to causes, temporary intensified reduction of pressure at said restriction below the pressures at the approach or at the recoven "i I of said by-pass proportional to the dvf nenu -et ween said two last named pressures, and mechanism including said restriction to re late a fluid flow proportional to the mam flow.

9. In a hydraulic system, the combination of a fluid main, a main Venturi tube in said main, a source of fluid pressure associated with one end of said main venturi and an outlet for the discharge of fluid associated with said main on the other side of said main venturi, a-s'mall venturi connected between the approach and throat of the large venturi, a fluid pressure chamber, a movable member in said chamber, a duct for conveying fluid from the approach of the smaller venturi to the one side of said movable member, means controlled, by said movable member for creating a flow of fluid proportional to the flow in the main and apparatus actuated by said proportional flow.

10. In a hydraulic system, the combination of a fluid main, a large venturi in said main, a small venturi connected between the approach and the throat of the large venturi, the approach and throat of the large venturi being provided with a large opening to connect to the small venturi, a pressure chamber, a movable member in said chamber, means to convey fluid pressure from the approach and throat respectively of said small venturi to opposite sides of said movable member and means controlled by said movable member creating a flow of fluid proportional to the flow in the main and apparatus controlled by said proportional flow.

11. In a fluid system, the combination of means for creating a plurality of fluid pressures, a duct through which fluid flows, a valve controlling the flow of fluid through said duct, mechanism controlling said valve governed by said fluid pressures and apparatus governed by one of said pressures for absorbing the excess fluid pressure from said valve.

12. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of initial fluid ressure and supply, a duct to conduct fluid owtherefrom, means to obtain a temporary reduction of pressure in a functional part of said flow, functional to the whole flow, and means to utilize the pressure in said-duct and the pressure due to the temporary reduction in pressure to govern a. fluid flow functional to the difference between such pressures including a ressure governed governing valve adapte for fine adjustment of the desired functional relation, and a corrective resistance to motion governed governing valve adapted to correct -in one'direction applied to said pressure for any divergence in the ratio between the governed and governing flows.

13. In a hydraulic system, the combine tionof a passage-way through which fluid under pressure flows, a Venturi tube conneoted in the path of fluid flow in the pasage-way, the argest cross-sectional area of the venturi being smaller than the section of i the passage-war where it is associated with the main, fumnional fluid flow regulating mechanism, including pressure cells, a movable member and a valve, means to connect said pressure cells to the approach and throat of said rcntnri and apparatus actuated by the functional flow created by such mechanism. ll. In a fluid pressure system, a source of initial fluid pressure and supply, fluid discharging members, means to cause a fluid flow therefrom through a plurality of said discharging members, means to cause the flow through two of said members to bear a constant ratio to one another at all rates of flow, including means to cause the total fluid pressure acting upon and causing flows through one of said discharging members through variations of said pressures to differ by apredetermined constant amount from the pressure acting upon and causing flow through the other of said discharging members. a v

15. In a fluid pressure system, a source of initial fluid pressure and supply, a fluid discharging member, means to cause a fluid flow therefrom through said discharging member. means to obtain a change of pressure which is functional to a difference in pressure due to the flow throu 'h said discharging member, means to obtain from said functional change of pressure another pressure which shall difl'er therefrom by a constant predetermined amount which amount corresponds to E in the formula herein proposed, vi7

and results in a constant value of both C and E for a wide range of velocities of flow in any given discharging member.

16. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of initial fluid pressure and supply, means to cause a governing fluid flow therefrom and a change of pressure functional to said flow, means to cause a temporary reduction of pressure in a functional part of said flow greater than the aforesaid change of pressure obtained in the whole flow, and functional. to the whole flow, means to utilize said initial pressure and the pressure due to said temporary reduction in pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between said pressures, including two successive pressure governed throttling Valves through which said governed flow passes, the one adapted for fine adjustment of the desired functional reintion, andthe other as a roughing throttle to absorb excess pressure in an approximately functional relation with the pressures applied to it and means, including a corrective, resistance to motion in one direction applied to the first named throttling valve adapted J0 modify the governed pressure, and there- 'tional to said flow, means to by maintain a constant ratio between the governing and governed flow.

17. In a fluid system, the combination of means for creating a plurality of fluid ressures, a duct through which fluid i'lbws, means controlling the flow of fluid through said duct, mechanism controlling said last named means governed by said fluid pres sores and apparatus governed by one of said pressures for absorbing the excess fluid pressure from said last named means.

18. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of initial fluid pressure and su ply, means to cause a governing fluid flow therefrom and a change of pressure functional to said flow, means to obtain a temporary reduction of pressure in a functional part of said flow greater than the aforesaid change of pressure obtained in the whole flow and functional to the whole flow, and means to utilize said initial pressure and the pressure due to said temporary reduction in pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between such pressures including a pressure governed governing valve adapted for fine adjustment of the desired functional relation.

19. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of initial fluid pressure and supply, means to cause a governing fluid flow therefrom and a change of ressure functional to said flow, means to o tain a temporary reduction of pressure in a functional partof said flow greater than the aforesaid change of pressure obtained in the whole flow and functional to the Whole flow, and means to utilize said initial pressure and the pressure due to said temporary reduction in pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between such pressures includ ing a pressure governed governing valve adapted for fine adjustment of the desired functional relation, and a corrective resistance to motion in one direction applied to said pressure governed governing valve adapted to modify the governed pressure.

20. In a fluid system, the combination of an initial source of fluidpressure and supply, meansto cause a governing fluid flow therefrom and a change of pressure funco tam a temporary reduction of pressure in a functional part of said flow greater than the aforesaid change of pressure obtained in the whole flow, and means to utilize said initial pressure and the pressure due to said temporary reduction of pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between said pressures including two pressure overned governing valves, both acted upon y pressures derived from the governed and governing flows, the one adapted for fine adjustment of the desired functional relation and the other constituting a roughing throttle to absorb excess pressure in the line of the gqv.

acted, upon erned flow passage-way and to maintain a pressure acting toward the valve which must tween said initial pressure and said changed pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between said pressures, including a pressure governed governing valve by pressures derived from the governing and governed flows, adapted for fine adjustment of the desired functional relations, and a corrective resistance to motion in one direction applied to said pressure governed governing valve adapted to correct for any divergence in ratio between the governed and governing flows at low velocities of flow as com ared with the ratio which exists at high ve ocities of flow.

22. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of .initial pressure and supply, means to cause a governing fluid flow and a change of pressure functional to said How means to utilize the difl'erence between said initial pressure and said change of pressure to govern a fluid flow functional to the difference between said pressures including two pressure governed governing valves, both acted upon by pressures derived from the governed flow and from the governing flow, the one adapted to maintain the exact functional relation desired and the other a roughing throttle to absorb a roughly functional amount of excess pressure beyond that essential for the effective operation of the first named valve.

23. In a fluid system, the combination of a source of initial pressure and en ply, means to cause a governing fluid flow t erefrom and a change of ressure functional to said flow, means toutl ize the difference between said initial pressure and said change of pressure to govern a fluid flow functional;

to the difl'erence between said pressures including two pressure governed governing valves, both acted upon by pressures derived from the governed flow and from the governing flow, the one adapted to maintain the exact functional relation desired and the other a roughing throttle to absorb a roughly functional amount of excess pressure beyond that essential for-the effective operation of the first named valve, and a corrective resistance to motion in one direction applied to the said first named valve adapted to modify the difference of pressure on the governed flow as compared with the difi'erence of pyessure on the governi g flow by such small amount as may be required to maintain a constant ratio'of governed flow to governing flow at both low and high velocities of flow.

24. In a fluid system, the combination of means for creating a plurality of fluid pressures, a duct through which fluid flows,.a device controlling the flow of fluid throu h said duct, mechanism controlling said fevice governed by said fluid pressures and apparatus governed jointly y said fluid pressures for absorbing the excess fluid pressure from said device.

25. In a fluid system, the combination of means for creating a lurality of fluid pressures, a duct throng which fluid flows, a valve controlling the flow of fluid in said duct, mechanism controlling said valve gov:

erned by said fluid pressures and a second valve in said duct controlling the flow of fluid therein on the discharge side of said first named valve governed by said fluid pressures.

26. In a fluid system, the combination of means to create a plurality or fluid pressures, a duct through which fluid flows, a valve controllin the flow of fluid through said .duct, mec anism governed by said fluid ressures controlling said valve and a second valve governing the flow in said duct and controlled jointly by said pressures and the pressure in said duct on the discharge side of said first named valve.

27. In a fluid sy the combination of means to create plu ality of fluid pressures, a duct through which fluid flows, a valve in said duct governed by said fluid pressures controlling the flow of fluid through said duct, a second valve in said duct on the discharge side of the first valve and mechanism controllin the second valve including a pair of move le members, one

28. In a fluid system, the combination of means in which a plurality of fluid pressures are created, a duct, the flow of fluid in which is governed by said pressures a valve in said duct and mechanism including a pair of movable interconnected members the movement of one of which is controlled by said pressures and the movement of the other by one of said pressures and fluid pressure in said duct.

29. In a fluid system, the combination of means in which two fluid pressures are created, a duct through which fluid flows under pressure, a valve controlling the flow of fluid in saidduct and mechanism controlling said valve including a pair of interconnected movable members in a fluid chamber, one of which is controlled by said pair of pressures and the other by one of said pair of pressures and the fluid pressure in the duct.

30. In a fluid system, the combination of means'containing fluid under pressure, second means containing fluid under second and different pressure, a duet adapted to convey fluid under pressure, a valve controlling the flow of fluid through said duct, mechanism including a movable member governed by said fluid pressures controlling said valve, 9, second valve in said duet con- .trolling the fluid pressure in the duct, a

fluid Chamber associated with said second named valve, :1 pair of interconnected movable members connected to said second named valve and controlling the same, a pipe connecting said first named means to one side of one of said members, a. second pipe connecting the other side of said last named member and one side of the other of said members to said second named means, said pipes conveying fluid pressure from said means to said members, and apparatus to convey fluid pressure in said duct to the other side of the other member. 31. In a fluid system. the combination of ,sources of fluid pressure, a fluid duct, two valves, each controlling said duct, mechanisms, one controlling each of said valves, and means to connect each mechanism with each of said sources of pressure. In witnesswhereof I have signed my name hereunto this 3rd day of April, 1916.

GEORGE GOODELL EARL.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,311,861, granted July 29, 1919, upon the applicatiqn of 'George Goodall Earl, of New Orleans, Louisiana,

for an improvement in "Hydraulic Systems and Methods, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 60, for

the wordfand" read or; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the (sees in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of October, A. D., 1921.

KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[amp] 

